Improvement in fences



UNITED STATES e PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN K. OOSGROVE AND RUDOLPH VVESIERMAN, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37.4134, dated January 20, 1863.

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN K. Cosl l GROVE and RUDOLPH WEs'rERnAN, both of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Field-Fence; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which- Figure l represents a face view of our invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, the line x Fig. 1, indicating the line of section. Fig. 3 is a plan of a corner of a fence constructed according to Our invention. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the plane indi cated by the line y y, Fig. 3.

Similar letters ot' reference in the several views indicate correspending parts.

'Ihe object of this invention is to produce a fence that would suit nearly all kinds Ot' localities and soils, one that could be conveniently and cheaply built by a person of ordinary niechanical skill-a portable or permanent fence which does not require the use of posts in its construction, which cannot be easily displaced by frosts or thaws, storms or floods, winds or animals running at large, and that is adapted by its peculiar structure alike for prairie as well as timber lands.

The invention consists in the employmentof braces with bill-shaped ends catching over the chamfered edges of mortises in the end battens of adjoining panels of a fence, and provided with shoulders bearing against the surfaces ot' said battens in combination with gibs catching over the edges of said braces and secured by keys and with anchor-stakes fastened to the lower ends of the braces in such a manner that by driving said stakes down in the ground the braces are held in position by the stakes and the panels by the bil1-shaped ends of the braces, and a rm, simple, and durable fence is obtained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The panels A A are constructed of a series of horizontal boards or rails, a, which are secured to the battens or uprights b b in the ordinary manner. The end battens, bX b'x,pro ject beyond the ends of the rails, and the batten b on the panel Al is secured to that side of the fence opposite to the one to which the hatten bX is fastened so that the ends ot' the rails of adjoining panels are inclosed between the end battens, b bx, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 ot' the drawings.

B B are the braces, which serve to steady the fence. The upper ends, c, of these braces are bill-shaped, and they catch over the lower edges of mortises d, which are cut in the battens I)X bX. Said lower edges are chanifered oi' toward the inside toconform to the billshaped ends Ot' the braces, and the form ot' these ends is such thatthe same, when brought in the proper position, bear against the chamfered edges ot' the mortises, and also against the outer surfaces of the battens, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In order to retain the braces B iirmly in their places, gibs e are inserted into the mortises d, and these gibs are secured by keysf. The lower ends Ot' thebraces are attached to stakes g, which are iirmly driven down in the ground in an inclined position. When thc fence is put up only temporarily, the stakes y can be onitted, but whenever the fence is to be permanent, and particularly itl the same is exposed t'o high Winds, the stakes are essential to give to the fence the required stability. In a corner the brace BX is firmly secured to one ofthe panels forming said corner, and its bill-shaped upper end catches into a mortise `in the end batten Of the other panel, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A key, fx, retains the upper, and a stake, gx, thelower, end ofthe brace. No gib is needed in this case.

This fence is very light. It can be constructed at a small expense. It is easily put up and taken down, and when put up it is tirm and capable to resist Winds or i'loods.

XVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement Ot' the bill-shaped ends o of the braces B, in combination with chamfered edges ot' the mortises d in the battens b b, and with gibs e, keys f, and anchorstakes g, all constructed and applied in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

Witnesses:

JOHN BEEGIIGOOD, HENRY TEANGER. 

